Reuters US Domestic News Summary

By introducing vast new vaccine mandates he once opposed, Biden is fighting back against what the White House sees as the sabotage of their agenda by a petulant, politically motivated minority. U.S. lawmakers seek to protect election workers after Reuters investigation Democratic Congress members called for tougher legislation to address death threats against U.S. election administrators following a Reuters report that exposed a lack of arrests in response to a wave of intimidation targeting the workers since November’s presidential election.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. Judge denies Capitol rioter's request for temporary release from prison

A federal judge on Friday denied a request from the Capitol riot defendant known as the QAnon Shaman for temporary release from prison while he awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to a riot-related felony charge. On Sept. 3, Jacob Chansley pleaded guilty to obstructing an official proceeding.

Biden calls for unity as nation marks 20th anniversary of 9/11

U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday called for national unity as the United States prepared to mark the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that killed 2,977 people, calling it America's greatest strength in the face of adversity. Biden, speaking in a videotaped recording at the White House https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1436444392584253442, honored the memories of those killed in the attacks and the thousands more injured, as well as the firefighters, nurses and many others who risked or gave their lives during the subsequent rescue missions and long road to recovery.

Court rules for Florida governor, reinstates ban on mask mandates in state's schools

A state appeals court ruled on Friday in favor of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, issuing a stay in a case that effectively reinstates his ban on mask mandates in the state's public schools to the dismay of many parents and teachers. Florida's First District Court of Appeals reinstated a stay that was lifted by Circuit Judge John Cooper, who earlier ruled that the state does not have the authority to ban mandates in a case brought by a group of parents.

Exclusive: Wide-ranging SolarWinds probe sparks fear in Corporate America

A U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into the SolarWinds Russian hacking operation has dozens of corporate executives fearful information unearthed in the expanding probe will expose them to liability, according to six people familiar with the inquiry. The SEC is asking companies to turn over records into "any other" data breach or ransomware attack since October 2019 if they downloaded a bugged network-management software update from SolarWinds Corp, which delivers products used across corporate America, according to details of the letters shared with Reuters.

Analysis-Biden's vaccine mandate signals a White House done with persuasion

President Joe Biden and his aides have concluded something in recent weeks: The Mr. Nice Guy approach isn't working. By introducing vast new vaccine mandates he once opposed, Biden is fighting back against what the White House sees as the sabotage of their agenda by a petulant, politically motivated minority.

U.S. lawmakers seek to protect election workers after Reuters investigation

Democratic Congress members called for tougher legislation to address death threats against U.S. election administrators following a Reuters report that exposed a lack of arrests in response to a wave of intimidation targeting the workers since November's presidential election. In a report https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-election-threats-law-enforcement published on Wednesday, Reuters identified more than 100 threats of death or violence made to election workers and officials, part of an unprecedented campaign of intimidation inspired by former President Donald Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. The response from U.S. law enforcement has so far produced only four known arrests and no convictions.

Biden vaccine mandates: Republicans angry, business groups muted

Republicans on Friday vowed to fight U.S. President Joe Biden's new vaccine mandate covering big companies and federal employees, but business groups that often agree with them on issues like taxes are not joining in. The mandate https://reut.rs/3niM2M3, which the White House says would cover 100 million U.S. workers and applies to about two-thirds of all U.S. employees, is being written in part by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

U.S. Senate Democrats float stock buyback tax as part of $3.5 trillion bill

Two senior U.S. Senate Democrats on Friday unveiled a proposal to impose a 2% excise tax on corporate stock buybacks as lawmakers scrambled to find ways to finance President Joe Biden's $3.5 trillion domestic investment plan. Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden and Senate Banking Committee Chair Sherrod Brown said the "Stock Buyback Accountability Act" would encourage large corporations to invest in their workers rather than enriching investors executives by boosting stock prices.

Exclusive-U.S. could authorize Pfizer COVID-19 shot for kids age 5-11 in October -sources

Top U.S. health officials believe that Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 vaccine could be authorized for children aged 5-11 years old by the end of October, two sources familiar with the situation said on Friday. The timeline is based on the expectation that Pfizer, which developed the shot with Germany's BioNTech, will have enough data from clinical trials to seek emergency use authorization (EUA) for that age group from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) towards the end of this month, the sources said.

Appeals court blocks strict Tennessee abortion law

A federal appeals court on Friday blocked Tennessee's strict abortion law, more than a year after a district court first issued a preliminary injunction that prevented it from taking effect. In July last year, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed one of the tightest abortion restrictions in the country, including banning the procedure once a fetal heartbeat is detected at around six weeks, which is often before a woman realizes she is pregnant.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)